Of all the relentless challenges that await within the hell-scarred world of Sanctuary in Diablo IV, one of the most constant is the management of resources. While slaying demons and unearthing forgotten loot is the core loop, understanding how to efficiently empower that loot is what separates the casual adventurer from the Nephalem who can stare down Lilith herself. Central to this empowerment is the Blacksmith, a master craftsman found in every major hub, whose anvil rings with the promise of greater power—for a price.
This guide will provide a comprehensive breakdown of the Blacksmith's upgrade system, detailing the costs, benefits, and strategic nuances of item enhancement to ensure your hard-earned materials and gold are invested wisely.
The Blacksmith's Role: More Than Just Salvage
While most players first interact with the Blacksmith for salvaging junk items into raw materials (a crucial function in itself), his upgrade service is arguably his most valuable. Upgrading an item at the Blacksmith directly increases its base statistical power. Each upgrade level applies a significant multiplier to the item's inherent Armor (for gear) or Damage Per Second (DPS for weapons), and a smaller multiplier to all other affixes (Strength, Intelligence, Critical Strike Chance, etc.).
Unlike the Occultist, who deals with extracting and imprinting Aspects (the legendary powers), the Blacksmith is concerned with the raw, numerical foundation of your gear.
The Upgrade Tiers and Associated Costs
An item can be upgraded a maximum of 5 times, with each level requiring more and rarer materials. The cost structure is consistent but scales with the item's tier: Common (White), Magic (Blue), Rare (Yellow), Legendary (Orange), and Unique (Gold).
Here is a detailed breakdown of the cost per upgrade level for a typical Rare (Yellow) item, which forms the backbone of most builds until optimized Legendaries and Uniques are acquired:
- Upgrade Level 1: A modest amount of Common Materials (Iron Chunks, Rawhide, Superior Leather) and a small gold fee.
- Upgrade Level 2: Slightly more Common Materials and gold.
- Upgrade Level 3: Requires Common Materials, a larger gold sum, and introduces Veiled Crystals (gained from salvaging Rare items).
- Upgrade Level 4: A significant jump in cost. Requires a larger quantity of Common Materials, a substantial gold payment, and more Veiled Crystals.
- Upgrade Level 5: The final and most expensive upgrade. It demands a high amount of Common Materials, a very large gold fee, Veiled Crystals, and most importantly, a Forgotten Soul. This rare material is acquired primarily from salvaging Legendary items or found in Helltide events.
Important Note: Upgrading a Legendary or Unique item follows the same pattern but has a noticeably higher gold and material cost at each step compared to a Rare item. The material types required also change based on the item type:
- Weapons: Primarily require Iron Chunks and Veiled Crystals.
- Armor: Require Leather-based materials (Rawhide, Superior Leather) and Veiled Crystals.
- Jewelry: Require Silver Ore and Veiled Crystals, and are generally the most expensive to upgrade.
Strategic Upgrade Philosophy: When and What to Upgrade
Blindly upgrading every semi-decent item you find is a surefire path to bankruptcy and a material shortage. A strategic approach is essential.
1. The Early Game (Levels 1-50): At this stage, your gear is being replaced constantly. Upgrading is generally not cost-effective.
- Exception: If you find a weapon with a dramatically higher base DPS that will carry you for 5-10 levels, a Level 1 or 2 upgrade can be a worthwhile investment to smooth out your leveling progress. Avoid spending Veiled Crystals at this stage.
2. The Mid-Game (World Tiers 3 & 4, Sacred & Ancestral Items): This is where upgrading becomes critical. You will start acquiring Sacred (WT3) and Ancestral (WT4) items with much higher stat ranges.
- Prioritize Your Weapon: Your weapon's base DPS is the single most important stat for most builds. Upgrading your weapon to Level 5 should be your top priority, as the DPS multiplier is enormous. The power spike from a fully upgraded ancestral weapon is transformative.
- Target Key Gear Slots: After your weapon, focus on armor pieces that have near-perfect affixes for your build. A chest plate with max life, damage reduction, and your core stat is a great candidate for Level 4 or 5 upgrades. Similarly, pants often provide crucial defensive stats.
- The "4+1" Rule for Legendaries: Be cautious with Legendaries. If you find a Legendary with a perfect Aspect but mediocre affixes, consider only upgrading it to Level 4. The final upgrade to Level 5 requires a Forgotten Soul, which is better saved for a true end-game piece with excellent affixes. You can always extract the Aspect later and imprint it on a better base item.
3. The End-Game (Min-Maxing): You are now hunting for BiS (Best-in-Slot) gear with perfect item power and optimal affix rolls.
- Go All In: Any item that makes it into your final build is a worthy candidate for a full Level 5 upgrade. The cumulative stat increase over all gear slots is massive.
- Farm Efficiently: Target Helltide events as your primary source for Forgotten Souls and Veiled Crystals. Salvage all unwanted Legendaries and Rares. Focus on Whispers and Nightmare Dungeons for targeted loot and experience.
A Crucial Interaction: Upgrading and Aspect Imprinting
A vital piece of knowledge is that upgrading an item does not affect the tier of an imprinted Aspect. Aspects found on codex have a fixed, minimum value. However, Aspects extracted from a salvaged Legendary item have a value range (e.g., 15-20% bonus damage).
The strategy here is to always imprint your Aspect after you have finished upgrading the item. Why? Because the upgrade process increases the item's power, not the Aspect's power. If you imprint a perfect 20% roll Aspect onto a item and then upgrade it, the Aspect remains at 20%. There is no benefit to imprinting first. By imprinting last, you avoid wasting a perfect-roll Aspect on an item you might replace or decide not to fully upgrade.
Conclusion: Forging Your Destiny
The Blacksmith's upgrade station is not a mere gold sink; it is a core progression system. Mastering it requires discipline, foresight, and efficient farming. By understanding the escalating costs, prioritizing your weapon, applying strategic upgrade levels to interim gear, and always imprinting Aspects last, you ensure that every swing of the Blacksmith's hammer brings you one step closer to becoming a true force of nature in the eternal conflict between High Heaven and the Burning Hells. Now go forth, gather your materials, and forge your destiny.
